Watipa continues its quest in making education a human right and is pleased to announce on International Human Rights Day its largest ever intake of scholars since 2016.

Thanks to the generosity of public donations and the funds raised from the social enterprise, we are thrilled to announce we have awarded 8 scholarships  to 7 young women and one young man, all under the age of 25, and including one secondary school student. Our 2018 scholars are based in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia.

“It was a very difficult decision to select the scholars this year. Yet again, the demand for educational support far exceeded the number of scholarships we can provide, we wish we could do more” said Watipa’s founder, Lucy Stackpool-Moore.

The 2018 Watipa scholars are currently being notified, so watch this website for further details in the New Year.

Also, we continue to support a further 30 scholars as they continue their education.  Each is progressing well with their studies in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nepal, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia.

And let’s not forget this year’s Watipa graduates who are making a difference in their local communities. You can read about them here.

Supporting women and girls

Our commitment to equity by supporting educational opportunities for young women and girls is one of Watipa’s core objectives. In 2018, almost 100% of scholarships have been awarded to women, and on average, we award about 60% to young women.  Each Watipa scholar shares a vision for a more developed and just society, including greater opportunities to progress towards gender equity.

Features of a Watipa scholarship

We listened to our scholars and have made some changes to the program this year, notably that every scholar will now receive some support for their living expenses. Being a Watipa scholar means that:

• Tuition fees are paid for the duration of the course of study

Every year scholars complete a renewal form, reflecting on their achievements and challenges throughout the year. As long as they are progressing with their studies and community service, Watipa supports each scholar through to graduation. The payments are made to the educational institution, except in the few cases where an institution does not accept foreign currency payments.

• Contribution towards living expenses are paid

Each Watipa scholar receives at least GBP £100 as a one-off payment to assist with their living expenses, transport and other costs. They can use the fees for whatever they need and payment is made directly to them. We trust our scholars to prioritise for themselves how best to use the funds.

• Post education support is paid the year after graduation

On graduation, Watipa scholars receive a further one-off payment of GBP £100 to assist with their transition from education to actively searching for work or starting their own enterprise.

• Social networking connections and mentorship opportunities are offered

Our scholars are provided where possible the opportunity to network with other Watipa scholars in person and through Watipa’s WhatsApp group and our other online media tools.

• Leadership and governance opportunities are offered

Watipa scholars are given the opportunity to govern Watipa through election to the Board as a Trustee or as a representative to the Youth Development Group.

To every one of you who donated to the 2018 scholarship campaign, we could not have achieved what we have without you, and on behalf of each Watipa scholar, we say a heartfelt THANK YOU!  Your generous support is making a difference to the lives of remarkable young people throughout Africa and in Nepal.